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I ask for tolerance in advance from those who are agitating for an Al Gore Candidacy.

Last nights appearance on Keith Olbermann should, in my old-school ‘Practical Politics’ reality-world, slam the door on the efforts to get him into the race.

Why? Once again he walks around every question. He uses three words where one would be more impactful. He seems less focused than he did when he was championing the Climate Change fight.

He appeared to me to be, again, posturing like an active politician. At the same time he admits he’s bad at the political process it takes for the ‘moderate’ candidate, (his words not mine), to succeed.

Let’s take him at his word: He’s not good at retail politics!

The Democratic Party must give America a candidate who is truly excellent at retail politics. We need someone who upholds our beliefs and ethical systems…and can still win the damn race.

3 Responses to “Al Gore on Olbermann…Some Things Don’t Change”

I tend to agree. I was very nonplussed and unimpressed with that interview. After reading (and writing a glowing review) of “Assault on Reason”, it was disappointing to hear his political hack answers to Olbermann’s questions. He sounded like the Gore of 2000 rather than the “Goracle” in his book (or film), ranting and raving about a better world.

I haven’t read the book. It’s helpful to have someone who has seen Al Gore’s most recent work comment.

Here’s a couple questions I can’t answer:
Q: If you are the eloquent and powerful spokesperson for a worldwide movement to, essentially, Save the Earth why do you stop to write a book on a purely political subject?

Q2: If you were leading the fight on a topic that could save the world wouldn’t you continue to push the subject into a practical political reality?

The only reason I can imagine for this new course of action is to reenergize a political career. If this is true then it explains the non-passionate, vaguely informed performance last night.

I guess my sense is that Gore has always been informed and articulate – when he is in the right situation. Like Kerry, he has problems with the short interview situation because his knowledge and responses take more time.

When he says he is not good at ‘retail politics’, I would agree. I also consider the underlying causes of retail politics to be a lot of what the book would address. Our campaigns are entirely too much Madison Ave and Media controlled. We are not using reason, logic, etc. as we used to.

That doesn’t mean the people who are good at retail politics are those “who upholds our beliefs and ethical systems”. (ie: Ken Salazar, Joe Lieberman, et al) Getting elected is certainly an issue. Being a good leader is also important. The GOP sacrificed everything to get people elected.

Where it got us makes for a teachable moment in American voting: start paying attention, get involved, don’t trust the MSM to give you much of anything valid about the candidate.

Both Kerry and Gore have done much better getting votes in ‘retail politics’ than they are given credit for. Before we abandon the quality of candidates we support, I’d prefer to get the entire election system as fool proof as possible.

I really doubt, given the GOP’s well deserved fall from grace, we will have as much trouble getting our candidates elected once that loop hole is closed.